Well what are we going to do now? How are we going to survive without our daily World Cup TV treat? When’s the next one?

No doubt the type of questions posed amongst friends and work colleagues the morning after the memorable 2014 World Cup drew to a fittingly dramatic climax with Germany beating Argentina late in extra-time on Sunday evening.

An audience of 20.6million UK viewers watched the World Cup final, the vast majority, as expected on the BBC, as both football fans and those less committed, were drawn to a tournament that has surpassed expectations for excitement and audience engagement.

VIDEO Scroll down to watch Blatter lauds near-perfect tournament

Super Mario: Goetze celebrates scoring the winning goal in the World Cup final against Argentina

The BBC’s coverage averaged out at 12.1m viewers, peaking with 16.7m during the match’s final five minutes. ITV averaged 2.9m viewers, peaking at 3.9m.

This has been a World Cup that has caught the imagination of a wider public and been a shot in the arm for free-to-air broadcasting. A UK Listed Event, with the next two World Cups already contractually secured, the World Cup Finals, in their entirety, remain the protected domain of the BBC and ITV for the foreseeable future.

And it would seem the two broadcasting giants fully appreciate what they’ve got. They have scheduled the matches generously. There has been plenty of room to preview and review the action and also to get a sense of the fun and festivities over there in Brazil.

This has also been the first World Cup to truly combine traditional viewing and the new and growing breed of online users.

High flyer: Gary Lineker made an airbourne entrance on the BBC's World Cup coverage

Maestro: Gary Lineker (right) excelled in his presenting role during the World Cup

One for the future: Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand showed he could have a career in media

Signing off: Alan Hansen's career at the BBC ended with Sunday night's World Cup final

VIDEO Blatter lauds near-perfect tournament

Both broadcasters can take satisfaction from their coverage of the event. BBC TV has less sport than in its glory years but can still rise to the occasion and deliver memorable television.

Gary Lineker’s presentation of the tournament has been outstanding – his journey from top-class striker to top-class TV presenter is now complete. He’s handled the whole proceedings with enthusiasm and eloquence. And, when reaching for his glasses to read a news story, there’s even been a touch of Desmond Lynam about him.

Adrian Chiles divides opinion. Loved or unloved, he has enjoyed being at the World Cup and it’s showed. And whilst ITV’s beach-side ‘studio’, complete with knee-caps, was slightly over-done, it showed they had confidence in what they were about. Perhaps the ‘spirit of the 1970 ITV World Cup Panel’ was in play.

Rio Ferdinand clearly proved himself to be ‘tomorrow’s’ man in the punditry stakes, as BBC’s Alan Hansen bade farewell. Alan Shearer put in a string of positive studio shifts and Martin Keown and Danny Murphy both gave BBC bosses serious options for more studio and co-commentary work in the future.

Interesting: Glenn Hoddle's hair was battered by the wind but his analysis was spot on for ITV

The first of many: Luiz can be excused for the first goal but his defending was woeful throughout

On ITV, Glenn Hoddle spoke like somebody who should still be at the very heart of the game, whilst Martin O’Neill has that wonderful touch of knowing his stuff but delivering it in a marvelously circuitous way.

A week or so ago on BBC Radio, John Motson was asked whether this was the best World Cup ever. Typically, Motty qualified his response. ‘It has been great but still needs a great game to define it.’

Within 24 hours we watched agog on BBC as Germany scored four goals in six minutes in their 7-1 demolition of hosts Brazil. This World Cup had its memorable match, and some.

A final salute should go to HBS, the production arm that brought the matches to our screens. For over four and a half weeks their sure-handed match direction has captured the action perfectly and it is nice to know that the World Cup Final itself was directed by an Englishman, Jamie Oakford.

This has been a hugely enjoyable World Cup for viewers to watch, and one that England’s early exit, failed to diminish. We wanted a ‘football party’ and we truly got one.